Hand guard with three dimensional end profile

ABSTRACT

A semi-automatic or automatic firearm comprising a hand guard that includes a three dimensional end profile. The three dimensional end profile can depict subject matter related to sporting, outdoors, military, and hunting-related interests, such as the head and face of a warthog or peccary. The firearm can also include a bipod which includes feet configured and shaped to resemble animal feet, such as the hooves of a warthog or peccary.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Ser. No. 61/926,789, entitled “HAND GUARD WITH THREE DIMENSIONAL END PROFILE” filed on Jan. 13, 2014, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for any purpose.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to firearms. More particularly, the present invention relates to firearms having a hand guard with a three dimensional profile located at the firing end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Firearms such as AR10, AR15 or M16 type firearms frequently utilize accessories to personalize and customize the appearance and performance of the firearm. For example, various hand guards can be positioned concentrically around the barrel of such rifles to provide a suitable grip.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, a firearm may comprise a hand guard and a three dimensional end profile. The hand guard may comprise a hollow cylindrical body having a breach end and receiver end. The three dimensional end profile may be located at and/or disposed on the breach end of the body of the hand guard. The three dimensional end profile may comprise a depiction of a head of a warthog or peccary.

In various embodiments, a firearm may comprise a firearm and a bipod. The bipod may be coupled to the firearm body. The bipod may comprise at least one foot. The at least one foot may comprise a depiction of a hoof of an animal.

The forgoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated herein otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation of the disclosed embodiments will become more apparent in light of the following description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter of the present disclosure is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. A more complete understanding of the present disclosure, however, may best be obtained by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a firearm having a hand guard in accordance with the present disclosure;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are side and perspective views, respectively, of a firearm having a hand guard in accordance with the present disclosure; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a foot of a bipod in accordance with the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Persons skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various aspects of the present disclosure can be realized by any number of methods and apparatuses configured to perform the intended functions. Stated differently, other methods and apparatuses can be incorporated herein to perform the intended functions. It should also be noted that the accompanying drawing figures referred to herein are not all drawn to scale, but can be exaggerated to illustrate various aspects of the present disclosure, and in that regard, the drawing figures should not be construed as limiting.

Furthermore, any reference to singular includes plural embodiments, and any reference to more than one component or step may include a singular embodiment or step. Also, any reference to attached, fixed, connected or the like may include permanent, removable, temporary, partial, full and/or any other possible attachment option. Additionally, any reference to without contact (or similar phrases) may also include reduced contact or minimal contact.

Different cross-hatching and/or surface shading may be used throughout the figures to denote different parts but not necessarily to denote the same or different materials.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary firearm 100 having a hand guard 108. In various embodiments firearm 100 comprises an auto-loading rifle of the AR10, AR15 or M16 type. Hand guard 108 can be coupled to firearm 100 by any suitable means and/or structure including, for example, attaching hand guard 108 to an upper receiver assembly 102 of firearm 100 through temporary, semi-permanent, and/or permanent means. For example, hand guard 108 can be attached to upper receiver assembly 102 by one or more fastening screws 106. Any manner of coupling hand guard 108 with a firearm is within the scope of the present disclosure.

With reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, hand guard 108 can comprise, for example, a hollow, generally cylindrical body 110 having a receiver end 112 and a breach end 114. In various embodiments, body 110 can comprise a metal capable of providing a sufficiently cool surface suitable for contact by the operator of the firearm, yet strong enough to sustain incidental impact. Further, the material of body 110 can comprise a metal that is lightweight. For example, body 110 can comprise an extruded aluminum.

In various embodiments, body 110 comprises at least one rail segment 118. For example, body 110 can comprise multiple rail segments 118, including rail segments oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis extending through body 110 and positioned approximately 90 degrees from each other. Stated another way, body 110 can comprise rail segments on the top, bottom, and/or sides of hand guard 108. In various embodiments, hand rail segments 118 can be coupled to hand guard 108 through temporary, semi-permanent, and/or permanent means. Any number and configuration of rail segments 118 relative to body 110 is within the scope of the present disclosure.

Body 110 can further comprise, for example, one or more voids 116. Voids 116 can comprise a mass of material removed or absent from body 110 in a general shape, such as an oval or rectangle. In various embodiments, a plurality of voids 116 of the same general shape can be oriented generally parallel to each other along body 110 to reduce the total weight of hand guard 108. Further, voids 116 having different shapes and/or configurations can be used in conjunction. For example, body 110 can comprise a plurality of voids 116 having a first shape and voids 116 having a second shape. The use of any shape, size, or configuration of voids in body 110 is within the scope of the present disclosure.

In various embodiments, hand guard 108 comprises a three dimensional end profile 120. For example, three dimensional end profile 120 can be located at breach end 114 of body 110. Three dimensional end profile 120 can comprise, for example, a shape formed by the removal or absence of material in body 110. In various embodiments, three dimensional end profile 120 is formed by removing material (by, for example, milling and/or routing) in a desired shape and configuration from the breach end 114 of body 110. For example, three dimensional end profile 120 can comprise one or more voids shaped such that, when viewed together, an intended image is presented.

Three dimensional end profile 120 can comprise, for example, a shape that, when viewed from a particular perspective, represents subject matter related to sporting, outdoors, military, and hunting-related interests. For example, three dimensional end profile 120 can resemble an animal, such as a hog, peccary, eagle, or other animal. With continued reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B, exemplary three dimensional end profile 120 resembles a warthog in that two upward, pointed protrusions suggest the tusks of a hog, and the top and uppermost sides of body 110 at breach end 114 suggests the snout of a hog. In other embodiments, three dimensional end profile 120 can resemble a distinct aspect of a military vehicle, such as the nose of a military aircraft, e.g., a P-51 Mustang. Although illustrated and described with reference to particular examples, any three dimensional end profile 120 of hand guide 108 that represents a three dimensional depiction of a desired image is within the scope of the present disclosure.

In various embodiments, firearm 100 further comprises a bipod 130. Bipod 130 can be removably attached to firearm 100 to provide improved stability and a superior firing position to the operator. Bipod 130 can comprise, for example, two legs 132 coupled to a mount 134. For example, bipod 130 can be temporarily or semi-permanently mounted to hand guard 108 at or near breach end 114. In such embodiments, mount 134 of bipod 130 can be configured to detachably couple to a rail segment 118.

Bipod 130 can further comprise one or more feet 136. For example, one foot 136 can be coupled to each leg 132. In various embodiments, feet 136 are configured to provide improved stability to firearm 100 by providing a larger contact area with a surface. Foot 136 can, for example, also be configured such that, when viewed from a particular perspective, the overall shape of foot 136 depicts subject matter related to sporting, outdoors, military, and hunting-related interests. For example, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, feet 136 can resemble the feet and/or hooves of an animal, such as a warthog or peccary. Although illustrated and described with reference to particular examples, any foot 136 of bipod 130 that depicts a desired image is within the scope of the present disclosure.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, after reading the present disclosure that various modifications and variations can be made in the present disclosure without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover the modifications and variations of this disclosure provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described herein with regard to specific embodiments. Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures contained herein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationships and/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional functional relationships or physical connections may be present in a practical system. However, the benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any elements that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of the inventions. The scope of the inventions is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” Moreover, where a phrase similar to “at least one of A, B, or C” is used in the claims, it is intended that the phrase be interpreted to mean that A alone may be present in an embodiment, B alone may be present in an embodiment, C alone may be present in an embodiment, or that any combination of the elements A, B and C may be present in a single embodiment; for example, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C.

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided herein. In the detailed description herein, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “various embodiments”, etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. After reading the description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the disclosure in alternative embodiments.

Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112(f), unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.” As used herein, the terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. 

1. A firearm comprising: a hand guard comprising a hollow cylindrical body having a breach end and receiver end; and a three dimensional end profile located at the breach end of the body of the hand guard.
 2. The firearm of claim 1, wherein the three dimensional end profile comprises a depiction of a head of a warthog or peccary.
 3. A firearm comprising: a firearm body; and a bipod coupled to the firearm body, wherein the bipod comprises at least one foot, and wherein the at least one foot comprises a depiction of a hoof of an animal. 